Estonia

Cluster Munition Ban Policy

Last updated: 05 July 2017

Summary: Non-signatory Estonia supports the humanitarian objectives of the convention, but has not taken any steps to join it. Estonia abstained from voting on a key UN resolution on the convention in December 2016. It has not participated in any meetings of the convention. Estonia states that it has never used or produced cluster munitions. It has not disclosed information on its stockpile of cluster munitions or estimated cost to destroy it.

Policy

The Republic of Estonia has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

In April 2016, the director for security policy of Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Monitor that “while fully supporting the humanitarian goals of the Convention [on Cluster Munitions], my country is not yet in a position to sign and ratify the instrument.”[1] The letter expressed support for mine action and related humanitarian efforts to address landmines and explosive remnants of war. It states that “Estonia has no further updates to add to already existing information” concerning its position on banning cluster munitions.

Estonia has often expressed support for the convention and acknowledged its humanitarian rationale, but says the possible cost and time involved in replacing its stockpile of cluster munitions is the main reason preventing its accession.[2] It has often said it needs to replace cluster munitions with “an equally effective weapons system.”[3]

Estonia abstained from voting on a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on the Convention on Cluster Munitions in December 2016, which urges states outside the convention to “join as soon as possible.”[4] In an explanation of the vote, Estonia joined four other European Union (EU) member states that are not party to the convention—Greece, Finland, Poland, and Romania—in a joint statement delivered by Poland, which repeated a statement the states made a year earlier upon abstaining from the vote on the first UNGA resolution on the convention.[5]

The five countries state that, “we support the humanitarian goal of the Convention on Cluster Munitions” but “at the same time, we believe that humanitarian concerns must be balanced with States’ legitimate security concerns and military and defence needs.”[6] Estonia participated throughout the Oslo Process to develop the Convention on Cluster Munitions and joined in its consensus adoption in Dublin in May 2008, where it described the convention as a “remarkable achievement,” but said it required further consideration.[7]

Estonia promised to review its policy on banning cluster munitions once the “outcome of deliberations” on the weapons by the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) concluded. However, it has not proposed any new CCW work on cluster munitions since the CCW failed in 2011 to adopt a new instrument on the weapons.[8] The failure effectively ended CCW deliberations on the matter, leaving the Convention on Cluster Munitions as the sole international instrument to specifically address the weapons.

Despite this, the joint statement endorsed by Estonia describes the CCW as “the most competent and effective framework for addressing the issue of cluster munitions.”[9]

Estonia has not participated in any meetings of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, even as an observer. It was invited to, but did not attend, the convention’s Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in September 2016.

Estonia has voted in favor of UNGA resolutions expressing outrage at the use of cluster munitions in Syria, most recently in December 2016.[10] It has also voted in favor of Human Rights Council resolutions condemning the use of cluster munitions in Syria.[11]

Estonia is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

In 2012, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that Estonia “has never produced or used cluster munitions offensively and has no intention to do so in the future; the use of cluster munitions has been restricted to the defense of our own territory only.”[12]

Estonia is not known to have exported cluster munitions. In 2012, a Ministry of Defense official said that Estonia was considering enacting a national moratorium on the transfer of cluster munitions.[13] As of June 2017, it has not taken any steps towards this objective.

Estonia has not publicly disclosed information on how it acquired its stocks of cluster munitions, their numbers and types, or anticipated costs to destroy them.

In 2009 and 2010, Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs informed the Monitor that the Estonian Defence Forces possess DM632 155mm artillery projectiles in “small amounts…for training and defensive purposes.”[14]



[1] Letter to Mary Wareham, Human Rights Watch (HRW), from Mariin Ratnik, Security Policy Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, 13 April 2016.

[2] CMC Austria meeting with Pirit Pikker, Advisor, International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Defence, Convention on Conventional Weapons Meetings of States Parties, Geneva, November 2013; and Letter no. 3-31/6134-1 from Väino Reinart, Undersecretary for Economic Affairs and Development Cooperation, Acting Undersecretary for Political Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to Laura Cheeseman, Director, CMC, 16 October 2012.

[3] In April 2012, Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Urmas Paet, informed the Monitor that “Estonia is not yet in the position” to join the “immediate prohibition on cluster munitions” provided for by the Convention on Cluster Munitions because “the replacement of cluster munitions for small countries such as Estonia in their defence doctrines with an equally effective weapon is costly and time consuming.” Letter no. 3.3-1/2328-1-1 from Urmas Paet, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to Mary Wareham, HRW, 12 April 2012; email from Kadi Silde, Adviser, International Co-operation Department, Ministry of Defence, 2 May 2012; Letter no. 3.3-1/3080-1 from Foreign Minister Paet, to Mary Wareham, HRW, 6 April 2011; Letter no. 03.3-1/4591 from Foreign Minister Paet, 29 March 2010; and Letter no. 3.3-1/5341 from Foreign Minister Paet, 27 April 2010.

[4]Implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions,” UNGA Resolution 71/45, 5 December 2016.

[5] Statement of Poland (on behalf of Greece, Estonia, and Finland, and Romania), UNGA First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, New York, 31 October 2016; and statement of Poland (on behalf of Greece, Estonia, and Finland), UNGA First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, New York, 4 November 2015.

[6] Ibid.

[7] For details on Estonia’s cluster munition policy and practice through early 2009, see HRW and Landmine Action, Banning Cluster Munitions: Government Policy and Practice (Ottawa: Mines Action Canada, May 2009), pp. 200–201.

[8] Letter no. 3-31/6134-1 from Väino Reinart, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to Laura Cheeseman, CMC, 16 October 2012. This reiterated the position previously expressed to the Monitor by Foreign Minister Paet, in April 2012. Letter no. 3.3-1/2328-1-1 from Foreign Minister Paet, to Mary Wareham, HRW, 12 April 2012.

[9] Statement of Poland (on behalf of Greece, Estonia, and Finland, and Romania), UNGA First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, New York, 31 October 2016.

[10]Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic,” UNGA Resolution 71/203, 19 December 2016. Estonia voted in favor of similar resolutions on 23 December 2015, 15 May and 18 December 2013, and in 2014.

[12] Letter no. 3-31/6134-1 from Väino Reinart, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to Laura Cheeseman, CMC, 16 October 2012. This has been confirmed several times by the Estonia’s foreign minister. See Letter no. 3.3-1/3080-1 from Foreign Minister Paet, 6 April 2011; Letter no. 03.3-1/4591 from Foreign Minister Paet, 29 March 2010; and Letter no. 3.3-1/5341 from Foreign Minister Paet, to Judith Majlath, CMC Austria, 27 April 2010.

[13] Email from Kadi Silde, Ministry of Defence, 2 May 2012.

[14] Letter no. 03.3-1/4591 from Foreign Minister Paet, 29 March 2010; and letter from Foreign Minister Paet, 12 February 2009. Manufactured by Germany, each DM632 cluster munition projectile contains 63 DM-1383 submunitions with self-destruct features.


Mine Ban Policy

Last updated: 02 October 2012

The Republic of Estonia acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty on 12 May 2004, becoming a State Party on 1 November 2004. Estonia has never used, produced, exported, or imported antipersonnel mines, including for training purposes. The Estonian criminal code and specific legislation which entered into force on 5 February 2004 provide for the imposition of penal sanctions as required by the treaty. On 30 April 2012, Estonia submitted its eighth Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report.

At times Estonia has stated that it had a small stockpile of antipersonnel mines and at other times it has stated that it did not maintain a stockpile. Its Article 7 report for calendar year 2011 states that Estonia does not possess a stockpile of antipersonnel mines or mines retained for training purposes.[1]

Estonia served as co-rapporteur and then co-chair of the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction from 2005–2007.

Estonia did not attend the Eleventh Meeting of States Parties in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in November–December 2011. Estonia attended the intersessional Standing Committee meetings of the treaty in Geneva in May 2012 but did not make any statements.

Estonia is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and its Amended Protocol II on landmines and Protocol V on explosive remnants of war.

 



[1] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Forms B, D, and G(bis), 30 April 2012.


Support for Mine Action

Last updated: 03 August 2017

In 2016, the Republic of Estonia contributed US$110,720 to support a demining training program in Ukraine.[1]

From 2012–2016, Estonia’s contribution increased more than tenfold from $9,970 to $110,720.

Summary of contributions 2012–2016[2]

Year

Recipient

Amount (US$)

2016

Ukraine

110,720

2015

UNMAS

20,000

2014

Palestine (Gaza strip)

20,000

2013

Mali

20,000

2012

Libya

9,970

Total

 

180,690

 



[1] Convention on Conventional Weapons Amended Protocol II Annual Report, Form E, 31 March 2017.

[2] See previous Monitor reports.